Evaluation of the CO2 laser in performance of breast surgery

In several studies the CO2 laser has proved to have properties which make it particularly useful to the general surgeon in management of breast tumor.

Four hundred and seventy-two patients, including 2 males, which age range from 15 to 84 years. The operative procedures included excisional biopsy, segmentectomy and modified radical mastectomy. In this study, one group was operated on by the scalpel; for the other group CO2 Laser (Sharplan Model 733) was used. This is a comparison of the healing process, the operative course and follow-up of patients who underwent breast surgery. Eighteen of this series were fresh, locally advanced mammary carcinoma cases and were managed with induction chemotherapy using cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil, followed by definitive extirpative laser surgery.

The patient have been followed up from 12 to 60 months. Good cosmetic results without local recurrence of tumor were observed following the laser treatment. An effective massive tumor necrosis of 80% occurred after induction chemotherapy. Swelling and distortion of cancer cells with vesicles filling in the cytoplasm and nucleus were demonstrated.

Laser technology for breast surgery was concluded to assist the operating surgeon with more precision, smaller wounds, more hemostasis, less tissue damage, and reduced morbidity except prolonged wound healing.